I'm really just playing devils advocate at this point. believe me I know how it all works as I'm an actor myself here in London. You think there arent jobs in LA - well try London! My point was really that, if GDT & PJ already have a very specific actor in mind to play Bilbo I think they would def be prepared ro push filming back a few months in order to secure him if he is already due to work on another project in Jan-Apr. Obv most films only shoot for between 3-12 weeks. Big films like the Hobbit are really the exception here filming for a yr. Once the actor was free he'd then have as long as it then takes to shoot...The artistic integrity comes in to play if a) GDT & PJ are prepared to just go elsewhere if an actor is already mid filming or occupied and b) would an actor just drop projects, potentially ones they've long been assigned to and researching, working on etc to be invovled in the Hobbit. I think that one depends purely on the actor. Since most of the actors involved are already going to have some film kudos they arent the in the league like myself where we just take jobs wherever possible. Tough times, tough industry aside not everyone takes jobs for the sake of it.

Intrigued by this article http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/11/30/the-hobbit-production-could-begin-by-mid-2010-and-casting-is-moving-forward/ Espesh at the bottom where it says CD have already been appointed in London & LA. Interesting since no greenlight. But obv at this point it would seem greenlighting really is just a formality. I'm going to get on to my contact at Weta and see if I can find out the UK Casting Director and then get my agent all over it!